

M_ 



6 03 



1 




TX 603 
.C34 
Copy 1 



THE 

Canning and Preserving 

of Fruits and Vegetables 

in the Home 



By 

George W. Carver 

Director, Department of Research and Ex- 
periment Station 



Tuskegee Normal and Industrial In- 
stitute, Tuskegee Institute, Alabama 



1" 



A^\ 



Foreword 



Tuskegee Institute, Alabama. 
May Seventh, 
Nineteen Hundred Twelve. 
I especially endorse all that Professor Carver has said in the 
enclosed circular and urge colored farmers throughout Macon 
County to put into practice what he has suggested. 

Booker T. Washington, Principal. 



FEB 12 1914 



The Canning and Preserving of Fruits and 
Vegetables in the Home 

The opening of the fruit and vegetable season is here now. 
Every year it is painfully apparent that fully two-thirds of our 
fruits and tons of vegetables go to waste. These, with a little 
effort in the direction of canning, preserving and drying, can be 
converted into nutritious and palatable dainties, sufficient to last 
throughout the winter and spring months. 

Preparation 

An ordinary iron or tin wash boiler, with a heavy wire or 
slatted bottom, will answer the purpose for cooking. Thoroughly 
clean the jars; fill; place them in the cooker so that they will not 
touch each other; pour three or four inches of water in the cooker; 
put on the cover, and steam briskly the length of time necessary 
for the particular fruit or vegetable you are canning. 

Methods 

Corn 

1. Sheer off the grains with a sharp knife; pack the jars or 
cans full; salt to taste; fill them up to the top with cold water; put 
on the rubber rings, and screw on the tops loosely; keep the water 
boiling for one hour; remove the cover of the boiler, and screw 
down the caps. On the second day loosen the caps, and boil again 
for one hour. Seal again, and repeat the same the third day. 
They may now be permanently sealed and placed in a cool, dry, 
dark place. 

2. Thoroughly cook the fruit or vegetable in a granite or porce- 
lain-lined kettle; remove the cans or jars from the boiling water; 
fill and seal at once. 

They often keep admirably in this way, but the flavor is never 
so fine or the appearance so attractive. 

String Beans 

String, top, and tail exactly as for cooking; pack tightly in the 
jars or cans, and treat the same as for corn. 

Okra 

(Use only tender okra) 
Wash in cold water; cut off the stems and tips; leave whole or 
split as desired; treat the same as for corn. 

3 



Egg PJant 

Peel and cut into cube< or slices about an inch thick; drop in 
boiling water for 15 or 20 minutes; pack in jars or cans, and treat 
the same as for corn. 

English Peas and Lima Beans 
Shell; wash in cold water, and treat the same as for corn. 
(Follow the same process for lima beans). 

Asparagus 
Take the nice tet der tips; wash in cold water, and treat the 
same as for corn. 

Parsnips, Carrots, Pumpkins and Squash 

Wash, peel, and grate; slice or cut in discs (squares); fill the 
cans, and treat the same as for corn. 

Tomatoes 

Take nice, ripe tomatoes; dip them in boiling water for a few 
minutes; immediately plunge into cold water; remove the skins; 
fill the cans, and treat the same as for corn. Two tablespoons of 
sugar to the half-ga Ion will improve the flavor. 

Beets 

Wash young, tender beets; prepare the same as for cooking; 
cook until done; remove the skins; cut in thin slices, pack into the 
jars, and treat the same as for corn. If a pickle is desired, mix 
equal parts of good vinegar and water, sweeten to taste, and cover 
the beets with this mixture instead of water. (Use only glass jars 
where vinegar is used). 

Sour Krout 

Take a clean keg, barrel, or jar; select good, firm cabbage 
heads; remove the outer leaves; wash and quarter as for cooking; 
shred with a spade, sharp knife, or slaw-cutter until very fine; 
rub the sides and bottom of the vessel with salt; put in a two or 
three-inch layer of shredded cabbage; pound down with a wooden 
pestle; another layer of cabbage and salt, pounding as before; 
continue this process until the vessel is as full as you desire; 
cover over with cabbage leaves, and weight down with a heavy 
weight; make a weak brine of salt and water, and cover the 
cabbage; use just a trifle more salt than for cooking; tie a thin 
cloth over the vessel to keep out worms; put in a cool, dry place. 

Sweet Potatoes 

Select medium-sized potatoes; boil until two-thirds done; 
scrape off the skins; cut (if too large for the cans) into thick slices 
or strips; pack in the jars or cans tightly; cover with a thin syrup 
of water and sugar (1 1-2 pounds of sugar to 1 gallon of water) ; treat 
afterwards exactly as for corn. 

4 



Blackberries 

In all cases where cans or jars are used they are to be thor- 
oughly cleaned. 
Use— 

12 parts blackberries 
2 parts sugar 
Pack tightly in jars, and cook the same a? for corn. 

Huckleberries 
Take— 

12 quarts berries 
1 quart sugar 
1 pint water 
Put water, berries and sugar in the preserving kettle; heat 
slowly; boil 15 minutes, counting from the time contents of the 
kettle begin to bubble; pour in hot jars, and seal at once. 

Grapes, Muscadines and Scuppernongs 

Take— 

6 quarts grapes 
1 quart sugar 
1 gill water. 
Squeeze the pulp of the grapes out of the skins; cook the pulp 
five minutes, and then rub through a sieve fine enough to hold 
back the seeds; put the water, skins and pulp into the preserving 
kettle, and heat slowly to the boiling point; skim the fruit, and 
add the sugar; boil 15 minutes, pour into hot jars, and seal. 

Peaches 
Take— 

8 quarts peaches 
1 quart 6Ugar 
3 quarts water 
Put the sugar and water together; boil and skjm; pare the 
peaches; cut in alves; remove the stones unless you wish them 
whole; put in the preserving kettle; cover with the hot syrup; gently 
boil for fifteen or twenty minutes, skimming carefully; place in hot 
jars; cover with the syrup, and seal. 

Treat plu i s the same as peaches, but double the quantity of 
sugar. The s ins and seeds need not be removed. 

Strawberries 

Can the same as for blackberries; skim out the berries; put in 
hot jars; boil down the syrup thick and pour it over them; seal and 
set in a cool place. 

Pears and Apples 

Treat exactly the same as for peaches; if they are hard, boil 
until tender. 

In canning fruit no sugar need be used at all, but it make* 
a much choicer product where it is used. 



Drying Fruits and Vegetables 
Corn 

Corn is delicious when dried. Take tender roasting ears; 
steam until nearly done; cut from the cob with a sharp knife; 
spread thinly upon boards or dishes; put in the sun to dry. If the 
tops of the grains are shaved off and the pulp scraped out, leaving 
most of the husk on the cob, it makes a much finer product. In 
cooking, it should be soaked for an huur or two in cold water be- 
fore the final cooking. 

CAUTION.— In drying any fruit or vegetable, wire screens, 
mosquito netting, etc., should be stretched over a suitable frame 
to keep oft' the flies. 

Okra 

Steam until two-thirds done; split in quarters the thickest pods, 
and dry the same as corn. 

Pumpkin 

Peel and cut in discs about an inch thick or in thin slices; 
spread in the sun to dry. Soak several hours in cold water before 
cooking. 

Apples 

Peel, quarter, and core the apples; spread in the sun to dry. 
Peaches and Pears 

Prepare the same as for apples'. 

Peach Leather (delicious) 

Take over-ripe peaches; peel, seed and mash the flesh to a 
pulp; spread on platters, and dry in the sun or oven. 

Strawberry Leather (delicious) 

Made the same as peach leather. 

Jellies 

Put the fruit in a stone jar placed in a boiler of hot water. 
When fruit is sufficiently softened strain Ihrough a thin muslin 
bag; place juice in a preserving kettle, and allow one round of 
3Ugar to a pint of juice (1 1-8 of a pound if the juice is very sour). 
While heating juice, place the sugar in a dish in the oven; allow 
juice to boil twenty minutes; add heated sugar; let all come to a 
boil and remove from the fire; having scalded glasses, pour them 
brim full and allow to; stand in the sun for a day or until the jelly 
is thoroughly set; cover with melted paraffin or with tissue paper 
saturated with brandy.. 

6 *•'•* •■"' ' : 



Pickles 

Cucumbers, small, green cantaloupes, citron, watermelon rinds, 
green beans, cabbage, green tomatoes, etc., may be packed down 
in brine (salt and water) made strong enough to float an egg; 
pack tightly in wooden or stone vessels. When desired for 
pickles soak in cold water until all the salt is out, and proceed in 
the usual manner for sweet, sour, or spiced pickle. 

The above are only a few of the many ways in which fruit may 
be kept by canning, preserving, drying, etc. The thrifty housewife 
will readily see from the preceding suggestions how she can make 
man3 T delicious and nutritious things not even mentioned here, 

Prepare Now for the Macon County Fair this Fall 

It is none too early to begin now to prepare exhibits for the 
Macon County Fair this fall which promises to be the largest and 
best in its history. 

If we all pull together we can make Macon County the banner 
county of the State and possibly win one or two of the grand cash 
prizes. 

For the Agricultural Exhibit 

Save large quantities of your best hay, cats, corn, peas, pea- 
nuts, sorghum, cotton, cotton seed, cotton stalks, sugarcane, pump- 
kins, etc. 

Be sure that all the above exhibits are suspended from the ceil- 
ing or rafters of your barn, boxed or crated, or in some way kept 
free from mice and rats. 

Farm Animals 

Select now the animals you wish to exhibit such as horses, 
mules, cows, hogs, chickens, goats, sheep, etc., and give them spe- 
cial care in the way of feed, rubbing, currying, etc. 

Vegetables 

For this exhibit save a considerable quantity of the best of all 
your garden products. That which you cannot keep in the above 
ways; manage to have it growing in the garden at the time. 

Canned Fruits and Vegetables 

Follow the methods laid down in this pamphlet, and save a 
generous quantity of everything to put on exhibit. 

Woman's Department 

It is recommended that special stress be laid on this depart- 
ment, and that all kinds of sewing, from the plainest gingham cook 
apron and a plain calico dress to the elabroate ball room or party 
gown, be exhibited; also all kinds of embroideries, laces, tatting, 
crocheting, drawn work, bead work, shuck mats, home made soap, 
pieces of hand made furniture and upholstery, etc. 

7 



'^ 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




Goo 



014 487 316 6 



Now is the time to begin practicing for the best cakes, pies, 
puddings, breads, meats, fish, fowl, beans, etc. So that you will 
be ready when the time comes to have a large and attractive 
exhibit. 

Arts 

Prepare to put on exhibition some fine specimens of drawing, 
paintings, etching, carving, etc. Arrange to have beautiful potted 
plants and cut flowers to display at that time. 

Education 

Save all kinds of school work, both the academic and the 
industrial, in all of its phases. 

Mechanical Work 

In this department anything along the line of home made wag- 
ons, buggies, farm implements, harness, household furniture, hoe 
and axe handles, baskets, horse collars, wheelbarrows, etc. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




l 



014 487 316 6 



